Former President Donald Trump said his relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has always been warm as the two leaders met Friday, and the Israeli leader said he hoped progress was being made in talks on a Gaza ceasefire.

Netanyahu traveled to Mar-a-Lago, Trump's Florida resort, to meet Trump, the Republican nominee in the 2024 presidential race, after meeting Democrat President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, who is running against Trump in the Nov. 5 U.S. election.

Trump greeted Netanyahu and his wife Sara and criticized Harris, who had voiced concern in public comments after meeting the Israeli leader about the toll on Palestinian civilians from Israel's 9-month-old campaign in Gaza.

"I think her remarks were disrespectful," Trump said.

Netanyahu said he hoped his U.S. trip would lead to a quicker ceasefire deal.

"I hope so. But I think time will tell," he told reporters. He said he thought there had been movement in efforts to forge a ceasefire because of Israeli military pressure and said he would dispatch a team to talks in Rome.

Trump dismissed any suggestion of tensions with Netanyahu.

"We have a very good relationship," he said, noting policy changes during his presidency including moving the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and pulling the United States out of the international nuclear deal with Iran.

Photo: Reuters